Inhalation apparatus



March 19, 1957 H. WU LLSCH LEGER INHALATION APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1954IHVFN'TORI HANS k/uLLscH L565? 37 United States Patent INHALATIONAPPARATUS Hans Wullschleger, Basel, Switzerland Application June 2,1954, Serial No. 433,980

Claims priority, application Switzerland June 6, 1953 4 Claims. (Cl.128-192) The present invention relates to an inhalation apparatus withdevice for atomizing by compressed air liquid medicaments or liquids towhich medicaments have been added.

To avoid harmful cooling of the respiratory organs it is recommended toadequately warm up the inhalation stream 'as is known with vaporinhalation apparatuses. With compressed air inhalation apparatuses thewarming of the inhalation stream takes place by heating the liquidmedicament before it is atomized.

The inhalation apparatus according to the invention is distinguishedfrom these known compressed air apparatuses in that the inhalationstream and not the liquid medicament is heated, for which purpose anelectric heating element is incorporated in the compressed air piping.

Considering the fact that to the atomizing air only little liquidmedicament is mixed, it is necessary to heat up the latter to a ratherhigh degree if an appreciable tempering of the inhalation stream shallbe obtained. There is, however, the risk that the active component ofthe medicament is impaired in its therapeutic activity to such an extentthat it often becomes ineffective, which practically means partialdestruction of the often expensive medicament.

Preferably, [the inhalation apparatus has arranged therein a bafileplate adapted to be selectively brought in front of the atomizer nozzleor swivable into the air current issuing therefrom and to whichmedicaments have been added. This makes it possible to a certain extentto vary the moisture content of the atomizing air current in that, withthe baffle plate brought in front of the atomizer nozzle, larger liquidparticles will be deposited thereon and hence be withdrawn from theatomizing air current.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example a preferred formof embodiment incorporating the invention.

Fig. 1 is a lateral part-sectional view of the inhalation apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the heating element on a largerscale.

The inhalation apparatus as shown in the drawing comprises a base 1designed as casing which accommodates a transformer and a rheostatadjustable by turning a knob 2 arranged on top. Also mounted on thecasing is a bifurcated bearing 3 with centers 3a supporting a holdingring 4 by means of pivots 5. Said holding ring 4 can be frictionally setto any desired position by means of a nut 6 designed as knob threadedlyengaging the pivot 5. Removably located in said holding ring oninterposed gasket 8 is a glass vessel 7 for the medicament, having anenlarged opening rim 7a. The holding ring 4 carries moreover acylindrical atomizer casing 9 mounted on the gasket 8 with a rim 9aforming a circular enlargement at the lower end of the casing andengaging 2,785,679 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 over the rim 7a of saidvessel. The circularly enlarged rim 9a of the atomizer casing carriestwo diametrically opposite pins 10 adapted to engage slots 11 of theholding ring 4 in a bayonet joint-like fashion.

The atomizer casing 9 carries at right angles thereto a tubular mouthpiece 12 for the outlet of the atomized mixture. The casing 9 includesan atomizer nozzle assembly 13 working on the principle of Bersonstubes, which, by its connection 14 to the'compressed air piping isattached in the axis of the mouth piece 12 and to the adjacent atomizercasing. The riser 15 of the atomizer nozzle assembly has a hose 16attached thereto which, through a funnel-shaped constriction of theatomizer casing, projects into the vessel 7 containing the medicament.At top the atomizer casing 9 is closed by a cover 18 having aninspection Window 17. Attached to the rim of said cover is an oifset arm19 carrying the bafile plate 20 which, by turning the cover, can beselectively swivelled in front of the atomizing nozzles or therefrom.The cover 18 has, to the extent of approximately degrees of itscircumference, a marginal recess 21 which is engaged by a pin 22 fast onthe atomizer casing 9. Due to the recess 21 and its associated pin 22the displacement of the cover 18 is limited to an angle of 90 degrees,whereby, in one end position of its angular displacement, the bafileplate 20 comes out of reach of the emerging air current mixed withmedicament, while in the other end position it is brought in front ofthe compressed air nozzle, when larger liquid particles will bedeposited on the bafile plate and thus be withdrawn from the atomizerair current. The compressed air nipple 14 carries on the outside of theatomizer casing 9 an internally threaded connection 23 to which isconnected an electric heating cartridge 24 with air delivery channel 35extending axially therethrough. A terminal 25 at the rear end of theheating cartridge is connected through cable 26 and rheostat with thepositive pole of the transformer supplying low-tension current. Theforward end of the heating cartridge is connected with the negative poleof the transformer through the body of the apparatus. The rear end ofthe heating cartridge communicates through connection piece 27 and hose28 with a source of compressed air. Numeral 29 designates a cable withplug for connection to the main circuit, said cable being connectedthrough switch 30 to the primary winding of the transformer. 31 is acontrol lamp in the low tension heating circuit. Remov ably arranged ona sleeve 32 on top of the mouth piece 12 is a thermometer 33 extendinginto the mouth piece 12.

The heating cartridge comprises a sleeve 34 of electrically insulatingmaterial, having two inserts 37, 38 with connections 37a, 38a eachprovided with an axial air channel 35 and interconnected through aplatinum tube 36. Said platinum tube, through which flows thelow-tension current, constitutes the heating element of the heatingcartridge and embodies at the same time a part of the compressed airpiping.

The aforedescribed inhalation apparatus is very easy in use. For fillingthe container 7 with the required medicament, the atomizer casing 9 withbayonet joint has to be taken off and afterwards replaced. When inhalingthrough the nose, the mouth piece 12 can be stuck on a specially shapednasal end piece known per se. When the apparatus is ready for use, it isconnected to the main circuit by means of the cable 29 with plug, andthe valve for the source of compressed air having the hose 28 connectedthereto, is opened. At the same time the circuit of the heatingcartridge is closed by means of the switch 30, the required temperatureof the atomized mixture readable on the thermometer 33 being adjusted byturning the knob 2, whereupon inhalation 3 may begin. By turning thecover 18 the moisture content of the mixture may be varied Withincertain limits.

What I claim is:

1. In an inhalation apparatus adapted for a-tomizing liquids bycompressed air, in combination, a casing; an atomizer nozzle mounted insaid casing; a mouthpiece communicating with the interior of said casingand mounted thereon; and a bafile plate movably mounted in said casing,said baflle plate being gradually movable between a first position inwhich said baffie plate is located in front of said atomizer nozzle andadapted to be located in the stream of air mixed with liquid emergingfrom the nozzle and a second position in which said baffle plate islocated laterally of said atomizer nozzle and adapted to be locatedoutside of said stream of air mixed with liquid.

2. In an inhalation apparatus adapted for atomizing liquids bycompressed air, in combination, a casing; an atomizer nozzle mounted insaid casing; a mouthpiece communicating with the interior of said casingand mounted thereon; a cover removably and t-urnably mounted on saidcasing; an inspection window provided in said cover; and a battle platemounted on said cover, said cover being gradually movable between afirst position in which said baflle plate is located in front of saidatomizer nozzle and adapted to be located in the stream of air mixedwith liquid emerging from the nozzle and a second position in which saidbaflle plate is located laterally or said atomizer nozzle and adapted tobe located outside of said stream of air mixed with liquid.

3. An inhalation apparatus adapted for atomizing liquids by compressedair comprising, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain a liquid tobe atomized; an atomizer casing formed with an inspection window anddetachably mounted on said vessel; an atomizer nozzle assembly arrangedwithin the atomizer casing and attached thereto; pipe means connected tosaid atomizer nozzle assembly for supplying compressed air thereto;

an electric heating element located in said pipe means;

a tubular mouthpiece communicating with the interior of said atomizercasing; and a baffle plate mounted in said casing for gradual movementbetween a first position in which said bafile plate is located in frontof the atomizer nozzle and adapted to be located in the stream of airmixed with liquid emerging from the nozzle and a second position inwhich said bafile plate is adapted to be located outside of said streamof air mixed with liquid.

4. An inhalation apparatus adapted for atomizing liquids by compressedair comprising, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain a liquid tobe atomized; an atomizer casing detach-ably mounted on said vessel; anatomizer nozzle assembly arranged Within the atomizer casing andattached thereto; pipe means connected to said atomizer nozzle assemblyfor supplying compressed air thereto; an electric heating elementlocated in said pipe means; a tubular mouthpiece communicating with theinterior of said atomizer casing; a cover removably and turnably mountedon said casing; an inspection Window provided in said cover; and abaflle plate mounted on said cover, said cover gradually movable betweena first position in which said b'afile plate is located in front of theatomizer nozzle and adapted to be located in the stream of air mixedwith liquid emerging from the nozzle and a second position in which saidbafile plate is adapted to be located outside of said stream of airmixed with liquid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS401,502 Krull Apr. 16, 1889 524,156 Bachman Aug. 7, 1894 1,469,608Steiner Oct. 2, 1923 2,124,747 Piepcr July 26, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS150,117 Austria July 10, 1937

